Have you ever wished you could embody a fictional character? A recent study shows that while you can’t physically become your favorite protagonist, you can experience what you read — at least, that’s how it appears to your brain. While we all agree you are what you eat, this article from The Atlanticmay prove you are what you read as well.

Hypochondriacs rejoice: those pesky bacteria lurking on the surface of your smartphone are no match for Corning’s antimicrobial glass, soon to hit markets. The secret? This astounding product incorporates silver ions, which demolish all but a tiny fraction of your touchscreen’s resident bacteria. But don’t be too quick to hail this almighty, germ-resistant development. The New Yorker reminds consumers that — while this invention may have a place in medical wards — not all bacteria are bad.

Please bear with us while we retroactively post obituaries from back issues of Bowdoin Magazine. This process has currently skewed the chronology of our listings. We're working to fix the problem. In the meantime, please go to bowdoinobituaries.com and search by class year.